LA4042 - Maritime Law

[Offered in even-numbered years]

Australia is a maritime nation with a significant sea-faring history. It has a long coastline and jurisdiction over offshore islands and Antarctica, as well as offshore oil and gas fields. Most exports and imports are still carried by sea and the nation's ports are important contributors to the national and regional economies. The law relating to maritime activities is a mixture of customary law, contract law, tort law and international conventions. Maritime Law is also remarkably uniform throughout the world because it is based on commercial realities and extensive trading between maritime nations over centuries.

Learning Outcomes

• understand the place of Maritime Law within the broad context of commercial law and public international law;
• demonstrate a sound knowledge of the principles of Maritime Law and the relevant Australian legislation, Court Rules, Maritime Rules and international conventions;
• apply the principles to practical legal issues;
• demonstrate a sound knowledge of relevant case law.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to reflect on and evaluate learning, and to learn independently in a self directed manner;
• The ability to work individually and independently.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.